Simply
Love is one of
the best in Mary Balogh's Simply and Slightly series. In this tender
and moving story we find two lost souls, a physically and emotionally
wounded soldier Syndam Butler and an unwed mother Anne Jewell. Both
know the reality of living within the fringes of society, silently
baring their pain and loss. The loving and caring Bedwyn family members
who love nothing more than a matchmaking challenge bring these two
individuals together for a holiday at their Welsh estate, where Syndam
is the steward for the Duke of Bewcastle and Anne and her son David are
guests. A second son and former artist who was tortured by the enemy,
we met Syndam in a previous story about his brother Kitt. We have also
met the beautiful Anne as well, as she was the governess who put
herself in the path of a wicked nobleman and was raped, instead of her
mentally challenged charge, Pru. Bringing these two wounded secondary
characters together from previous stories in the Bedwyn series is
simply outstanding. Syndam and Jewel are drawn to each other
immediately and a deep friendship develops. As their desire grows and
they meet for a passionate afternoon, it is a slight diappointment for
them both, and they come away feeling that maybe a life shared with
another is not meant to be. But when Anne becomes pregnant once again
facing motherhood without marriage, Syndam marries her. Afterward, as
they begin their life together, they discover that families can be
brought together and old wounds and relationships can be healed simply
by love. This is a story not to be missed. The entire series is a must
read, as not one of the books in the series is a disappointment. Mary
Balogh has the talent to write beautiful stories about complex
characters that come alive on the pages so that the reader feels they
are there and intimately involved in the story with the characters and
their families. Each book builds on the previous books with characters
that develop and mature even further from their previous introduction.
Simply Wonderful!
Publisher: Delacorte
(August 2006)
Reviewed
by Beverly,
Beverly Romance Books
